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Red raspberry leaf tea4/1/2023 ![]() Raspberry leaf ( Rubus idaeus of the Rosacea family) was found to be one of the top five herbs being used by pregnant women and being prescribed by CIM practitioners. Large surveys in Australia found between 52 and 73% of pregnant women were using CIM and 37 to 48% consulted a CIM practitioner (for example a naturopath or herbalist) through their pregnancy. The use of herbs in pregnancy can be a part of Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) which is defined by the National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health as a health care approach outside of mainstream Western or conventional medicine. The critical issue for the contemporary midwife is the evidence base for the use of such preparations. ![]() It is commonplace for women to seek guidance from midwives regarding the use of herbs during pregnancy and it is incumbent on midwives and other maternity care providers to assist women to make well informed decisions. While midwifery has evolved since the time of Martha Ballard, the use of herbs in pregnancy remains widespread, particularly parturients (such as raspberry leaf) which are herbs that are thought to aid childbirth. Her diary references the use of many different herbs and illustrates the primary ritual of her practice involving the gathering of remedies from the earth. Martha Ballard for example was an eighteenth-century midwife who attended almost one thousand births in her long career. Midwives have been using herbs in their practice for centuries. The evidence base supporting the use of raspeberry leaf in pregnancy is weak and further research is needed to address the question of raspberry leaf’s effectiveness. Many women use raspberry leaf in pregnancy to facilitate labour and birth. Human studies have not shown any harm or benefit though one study demonstrated a clinically meaningful (though non-statistically significant) reduction in length of second stage and augmentation of labour in women taking raspberry leaf. Toxity was demonstrated when high doses were administered intravenously or intaperitoneally in animal studies. Raspberry leaf has been shown to have biophysical effects on animal and human smooth muscle including the uterus. Included studies were published between 19. Five were laboratory studies using animal and human tissue, two were experiments using animals, and six were human studies. An integrative approach was taken to analysis. Identified studies were appraised independently by two reviewers using the MMAT appraisal instrument. The search included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection and AMED. Six databases were searched to identify empirical research papers published in peer reviewed journals including in vitro, in vivo, human and animal studies. MethodsĪ systematic, integrative review was undertaken. The aim of this study was to review the research literature to identify the evidence base on the biophysical effects, safety and efficacy of raspberry leaf in pregnancy. It is incumbent on midwives and other maternity care providers to provide women with evidence-based information so they can make informed choices. The evidence base for the use of raspberry leaf is however under-developed. One of the most common is raspberry leaf. Childbearing women have been using various herbs to assist with pregnancy, labour and birth for centuries.
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